Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-12-26
ON A DESERT ISLE.
A Steamers Crew Spend
Nine Months There.
THE MATE LEFT BEHIND.
While on q Shark Hunt Their
Vessel is Wrecketl-They
Finally Escape.


lAssocisted Press Dispatches to the HERALD.
San FRANCISCO, December 25.-
The Honolulu Commercial Adcev5issv
of December 7th gives the following
account of the adventures of two sur
vivors Of the missing steamer "Gen-
eral Sigel,'' who spent nine months
on South. sea island. The two SUE
vivors of the General Sigel's crew are
a young man named Edward Olsen
a native of Norway, and a German
lad of 10 named William Timpe. In
course OF conversation with them the
following account of their experiences
was gathered: The General Sigel
left Honolulu on September, l, 1885,,
for the French shoals on shark fish
ing expedition. Her crew was,
composed of Captain Arberkane,
Adolph Jorgen, mate, the two men,
already named, Peter Larkin, Brown.
Martin, Nelson and Charles Clemens.
In the object of their voyage the crew
were very successful, obtaining quite
a large cargo of shark, fins, and other
things. On September 23d they ar
rived off Midway Island. On the night
of November 10th the vessel was lay
ing at anchor off the island, the whole
crew being camped ON shore, their in
tention being 10 leave for Honolulu
the following day. Toward midnight q.
gale wind arose, the vessel broke away.
from the mooring, drifted ashore and
became total wreck. The crew thus
found themselves cast upon desert
island in mid-ocean, the only means
of sustenance being the sea birds and
their eggs and fish. Fortunately
there was no lack of this kind Of food,
and an ample supply OF fresh water,
was at hand. Under these depress-
ing conditions they existed for
months, and their experiences during
the time were marked by some thrill
ing episodes, some of which will
probably form the subject of future
investigation. Abont ten days after
their arrival painful accident hap
pened to Peter Larkin. While en-
gagged in killing fish with giant powder
one of his hands was blown off, and
although everything possible under
the circumstances was done to ame-
liorate his sutferings, he succumbedto
the injury and expired in few days.
The deceased was an old resident of
Honolulu. After this feud appears
to have arisen between the mate, Jor-
gen, and the captain, which the sur
vivors attribute solely to the murder
Gus instincts Of the former. 1t is
stated that on one occasion this man
deserted from the German vessel
Apollo while at Honolulu, where he
was arrested in consequence. Cir
cumstances connected with this
caused him to entertain feelings OF
enmity toward the German Consul in
this city, and brooding over his anger
he repeatedly expressed his intention
while on the island of taking that gen.
tleman's life on the first opportunity
he had. Captain Arberkane remon-
strated with him, and he, fearing that
the Captain might be the upshot Of
these threats, turned his hand, not
only against the Captain. but other
members of the crew. William Timpe
states that on one occasion while he
was alone in the hut which they occu-
pied, taking up edi5les to serve a
meal, Jorgen came stealthily behind
him, put rope around his neck, and
attempted to strangle him. The lad
called loudly for help, when the rope
was slackened and Jorgen desisted
from his purpose, saying: Don't say
anything about it, l don't want to do
you any HARM"
MIDWAY ISLAND
is in reality two islands, one is a cir
cular form on which the men lived and
another a long and narrow strip OF
land, some two or three miles to the
northward.
On arriving at the island the men
found an old hut, which they utilized
as domicile n Japanese scow suppos-
ed to have been left there by Captain
Bohm; boat belonging to the wreck
ed vessel Sunnatar Castle, which had
evidently drifted whittier from Ocean
Island, and they also saved a boat
from the General Siegel, but
very little in the way of stores.
| There was thus no great difficulty in
making the trip across to the smaller
island. While the Captain and a
sailor named Brown were on one Of
the islands after eggs, Jorgen muir
dered them. When the others learned.
of this and taxed Jorgen with it, he
said they had committed suicide. Oh
sen and Timpe and two other seamen
determined to leave Jorgen on the
island. They accordingly destroyed
the boat, and on June 2Sth sailed away
in a scow, leaving the murderous
mate alone. The four then headed
for Mare Island and arrived there
after passage OF two months and q
half. They were, there twenty days,
when the schooner Ehukai came and
took two of them to Edward Island
and VIM. Timpe to Jaluit. The other
two were left there to be taken by the
schooner Jennie Walker. Arriving at
Jaluit, the two on the Ehukai were
taken on the bark Sidian at Jaluit and
brought to Honolulu.
|
| samoan Intelligence.
SAN FRANCISCO, December 24.-The